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So-called militant abolitionist events and tactics are simply assertive methods of activism. Labeling David Walker’s appeal, William Lloyd Garrison's “The Liberator,” Nat Turner's revolt, and the Underground Railroad as “militant” not only undermines their necessity but also draws attention away from the militant nature of slavery itself. Calling these events “militant” discredits these events and tactics, all of which were effective in their own ways.
All of these events had a strong bearing on Southern rebellion. However, of these four 1850s political events, the one that most strongly caused the South to declare secession from the United States was the Kansas-Nebraska Act. The Kansas-Nebraska Act allowed new territories to determine their slave status not by geographic borders but by popular vote. The Dred Scott decision was favorable to slave owners and Southerners in general and so likely had the least impact on the South’s decision to secede.
The election of Abraham Lincoln to the presidency threatened the integrity of the slaveholding way of life in the South, in spite of the fact that Lincoln had a Southern Democrat as a running mate. Seeing that their power was being systematically encroached upon by Northerners and those with anti-slavery and pro-human rights beliefs, Southerners started to view their government as a hostile force, leading them to secede.
The questions or wonderments I have about the path to ending slavery are related to the lack of gumption shown by the federal government in disciplining the South. The end of the Civil War changed the legal status of African-Americans but enabled the perpetuation of racism and did nothing to stop racists from remaining in positions of power. What remains unanswered is how we can avoid making dreadful compromises in the future, and cease appeasing those whose values are antithetical to equality.
Works Cited
Franklin, John Hope. From Slavery to Freedom : a History of African Americans. New York :McGraw-Hill/Connect Learn Succeed, 2011.
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Civil War After the last shots of Civil War were heard, and following the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation by President Lincoln, the South had been humiliated and devastated. The repercussions of war included loss of life, land, and livelihood. Patriarchy and racism remained entrenched, but the emancipation of slaves significantly transformed the social landscape of the South. Liberated slaves started from scratch without access to cultural or social capital, and
Civil War represents a decisive period in American history, but also one of violence, during which more than 620,000 Americans died. (Gary B. Nash, Carter Smith, page 144) The American Civil War was fought between North and the South, and started as a result of their differences regarding slavery, state's rights and federal authority. The decisive moment was when Republican candidate Abraham Lincoln won the election, and become the president
Civil War While compromise over the system of slavery was possible in 1850 it was not effective in 1860's." The paper is an analysis of the compromise of 1850, which was the continuation of the system of slavery, and the description of the events, which led to freeing of the slaves in 1860's. The fundamental differences in agriculture and the adoption of slavery in the South of America gave rise to
The war and the years that preceded it led to the creation of social classes in our country. These classes consisted of the rich upper-class down to the poor immigrants; and each class had its own rules and regulations by which it lived. To this day, a large part of our society is based on classes. Socially, the war divided races and started what would lead to racism, bigotry, and
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